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Global footwear production decreased by 6 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to research on the global footwear industry by the World Footwear Yearbook. These figures are adjusted and do not take into account the low point during the coronavirus pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

EU Share Declines by 5 Percent, Asia Remains Largest Footwear Producer

Global footwear production reached 22.4 billion pairs last year. The share of the European Union (EU) decreased by 5 percent. Almost nine out of ten pairs of shoes are produced in Asia.

China, the largest footwear producer (and the second largest country in the world), holds 55 percent of the global market share and produced 12.3 billion pairs of shoes last year.

India has increased its market share and now accounts for 11.6 percent of the global total.

Asia therefore dominates the global footwear trade, although production in 2023 decreased by 7 percent compared to the previous year.

Decreased Demand for Footwear

The decline in global footwear production in 2023 is related to the contraction of consumption in the key regions for the footwear sector (US, Asia, and the EU), concludes the World Footwear Yearbook.

Footwear consumption in the US shows a significant decline (a decrease of 749 million pairs), with the country switching places with India.

China remains the largest consumer of footwear, although its share of global consumption has decreased by 17.1 percent in total (a decrease of 398 million pairs).

The European Union represents the third largest consumer market for footwear, with a decrease of 399 million pairs.

This article was previously published on FashionUnited.nl. Translated with AI and edited by an editor